The Musketeers, a brand new epic ten-part drama starring Doctor Who actor Peter Capaldi is heading to BBC1 soon, and ahead of it, we have everything you need to know, including spoilers, preview pictures and an interview with Peter about his role on the show.

The drama is inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s legendary characters, and in the debut episode – which airs on Sunday 19 January at 9.00pm – we meet the brightest and best musketeers of the King’s Regiment, who are Athos, Porthos and Aramis…

The brave and let’s face it, downright hot musketeers are dispatched by Captain Treville to find a missing member of their number, and while on the mission, they carry important letters on behalf of King Louis.

However, Cardinal Richelieu has secret plans to increase his political clout, and so he’ll try to sabotage the good reputation of the musketeers for his own ends…

Luke Pasqualino is d’Artagnan, Tom Burke is Athos, Howard Charles is Porthos, Santiago Cabrera is Aramis, Hugo Speer is Captain Treville, Ryan Gage is King Louis, Alexandra Dowling is Queen Anne, Maimie McCoy is Milady and the aforementioned Capaldi plays the role of wicked Cardinal Richelieu.

Here’s what he told the BBC about his role on the show…

How would you describe your character in The Musketeers?

Cardinal Richelieu is protector and confidant of the king as well as being essentially the first minister of France. He runs the country.

He’s a military figure as well as a religious and political one. He has a network of spies and operates like an illegal secret service to pursue his ends. He is by nature Machiavellian.

Did you do any research for the role?

I read the book.

How does the drama series differ from the book?

There’s an expansion of the world and characters beyond that of the book.

Do you have any anecdotes from set?

The production suffered from a lot of injuries: dislocated shoulders, bruised shins, the odd concussion. It’s one of the occupational hazards of being a swashbuckler.

I myself suffered a nasty dislocated thumb, but embarrassingly not from swinging a sword around. Instead, my injury came from a domestic the cardinal was having with Milady, Maimie McCoy…

I threw her against the wall not realising I’d caught my thumb in her large frock. I felt a jab of pain. And when the director said “cut” I looked down and saw my thumb was on the wrong way round. Nasty!

Instinct took over and I shoved it back, which made my eyes water and my knees weak. The lesson clearly was, never get into a fight with Maimie McCoy.

How would you have coped living in the 17th century?

I don’t think I would have been great in the 17th century. I would have enjoyed the frocks, and certainly some of the food would have been appealing, but the disease and hygiene would have worried me. I certainly would have missed the NHS.